Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2009-10: Mitchell Moroz was selected by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the second round (30th overall) of the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. He appeared in seven games for the Oil Kings and skated for the Edge School high school program in Calgary. He had 1 assist and was minus-two with 2 penalty minutes in WHL action with Edmonton. in 43 games for the Edge School he scored 20 goals with 23 assists and was plus-33 with 80 penalty minutes. Edge defeated Pursuit of Excellence in the Canadian Secondary School Championship and reached the final game of the Midwest Prep Hockey League tournament, falling to St. Andrew’s College.

2010-11: Moroz appeared in one game for the Oil Kings and spent the bulk of the season with the Calgary Northstars midget AAA team. Moroz’ only appearance with Edmonton came in a February game against Lethbridge. In 22 games with Calgary he scored 10 goals with 4 assists and had 34 penalty minutes. He was scoreless with no penalties in two playoff games.

2011-12: Moroz provided timely offense while leading all Oil Kings forwards in penalty minutes in his first WHL season. In a lower line role for league-leading Edmonton, Moroz scored 16 goals with 9 assists and was plus-five with 131 penalty minutes. He scored 4 goals with 4 assists and was plus-two with 24 penalty minutes in 20 playoff games as the Oil Kings captured the playoff title. In Memorial Cup play, he had no points with 5 penalty minutes as Edmonton split its first two games. Moroz was invited to the NHL Draft Combine and was ranked 72nd amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings (up from 171st in the mid-season ratings in January) and was selected by Edmonton in the second round (32nd overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft.

2012-13: Moroz returned to Edmonton for his second junior season with the WHL’s Oil Kings. Playing a two-way, physical game in a third line role for one of the league’s top teams, he scored 13 goals with 21 assists and was +21 in 69 games. Moroz was second behind defenseman Keegan Lowe (Carolina) with 140 penalty minutes. Edmonton finished first in the Central Division and lost to Portland in the WHL Finals. Moroz scored 2 goals with 5 assists and was +2 with 41 penalty minutes in 22 playoff games.

2013-14: Moroz skated for the Memorial Cup champion Edmonton Oil Kings in his third junior season. The team’s third-leading scorer during the regular season, he had 35 goals with 28 assists and was +25 with a team-leading 156 penalty minutes in 70 games. The Oil Kings and Calgary tied for the Central Division lead with 103 points; with the Hitmen finishing first based on more wins. Edmonton captured the WHL playoff championship, defeating Portland in the finals. Moroz scored 6 goals with 13 assists and was an even plus/minus with 40 penalty minutes in 21 WHL playoff games. He scored 2 goals with 2 assists and was +1with 2 penalty minutes in the Memorial Cup as Edmonton defeated Val-d’Or and then Guelph to capture the title. Moroz signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Oilers in December 2013.

2014-15: Moroz skated for Oilers’ AHL affiliate Oklahoma City in his first season of pro hockey. Playing mostly in an enforcer and energy role with the Barons, he led the team with 169 penalty minutes; scoring 5 goals with 4 assists and a -15 plus/minus in 66 games. Oklahoma City finished third in the West Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Moroz was -1 with 1 assist and 6 penalty minutes in six playoff games.

Talent Analysis

Moroz is a quintessential power forward with a great deal of energy and can be a terror in the offensive zone in a physical manner. That effort does not always translate to offense. He needs to work on his skating a bit, although it is by no means a liability. At this stage, he projects to be an energy player with some potential to be more than just a banger but he will need some time to develop.

Future

Moroz is in his second AHL season in 2015-16, skating for new Oilers' affiliate Bakersfield. Slowed by a hand injury to start the year he also missed time after suffering a concussion in late January. Leading the team in penalty minutes, he has been limited offensively but has shown improvement in his positional play. Taken 32nd overall in the 2012 NHL Draft, Moroz was expected to be the complementary power forward to many of the high-end skill guys selected by the Oilers. At this stage in his development he has mostly been an energy, lower line forward at the pro level.

Photo: Edmonton Oilers prospect Anton Slepyshev was a surprising inclusion on the NHL squad for 11 games last season, but his upside remains an intriguing asset (courtesy of Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

Year after year for the past decade, the Edmonton Oilers have added top talents via the draft. Rather than building an enviable prospect pool, the team has only succeeded in constructing unbalanced rosters that finish near the bottom of the league standings. Still, the 2015 Draft gifted the Oilers one of the world’s best players, and several other young men who have learned the NHL game the hard way are coming into the primes of their careers. Will the supporting cast be enough to change the script in 2016-17? Only time will tell, but the Hockey’s Future prospect awards for 2015-16 serve to highlight some of the more encouraging signs from a mostly disappointing campaign.

Photo: It has been a lost decade for the Edmonton Oilers and their fans, but Connor McDavid has started writing a new history (courtesy of Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

The Edmonton Oilers spring Top 20 list sees some major changes from the fall list, mostly due to the graduation of players like Brandon Davidson, Leon Draisaitl and Iiro Pakarinen. Darnell Nurse sits on the cusp of prospect status with regards to number of games played, but is the second name on the list for the time being. Despite his collarbone injury in November, Connor McDavid hasn’t missed a beat in his return and is a prospect in name only. He displays on a consistent basis that he is not only the top prospect in the Oilers system, but on his way to becoming the best player in the NHL.

Photo: Edmonton Oilers prospect Anton Slepyshev showed off some slick puck skills while with the NHL club earlier this season, but has to prove consistency at the AHL level (courtesy of Terry Lee/Icon Sportswire)

Unlike the previous article, which detailed the Edmonton Oilers’ mere three junior prospects, the NHL team has a staggering 22 names in its professional pipeline. A number of these pro players are on the verge of graduating as they continue to log NHL minutes, such as Iiro Pakarinen, Darnell Nurse and Brandon Davidson, and for the sake of keeping things concise, this month’s article will focus on those players who have spent the majority of the 2015-16 season at the AHL or ECHL level. Read more»

Photo: Management overhaul has changed things in Edmonton but Tyler Pitlick, the 31st overall pick of the 2010 draft, has the skill to take advantage of his opportunities this season (courtesy of Rich Lam/Getty Images)

As the 2015-16 season commences, one cannot help but notice the top-heaviness of the Edmonton Oilers’ prospect talent at the professional level. The team’s new farm club in Bakersfield, California is stacked with noteworthy names like Darnell Nurse, Leon Draisaitl, Tyler Pitlick and more, and the number of legitimate prospects fighting for an opportunity to earn a look at the NHL level is much higher than it has been in recent memory. The fact that the Oilers are now deep enough at the top level to afford to let prospects like the ones mentioned earlier spend some time in the minors developing is a sign of systemic improvement, which bodes well for a club that is trying to establish itself as a legitimate playoff contender after years of poor performance.